Four entities have filed objections with the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing (COAH) to an affordable housing plan Howell officials submitted to the state in December 2008.
Affordable housing is defined as housing that is sold or rented at below-market rates to individuals who have an income that meets regional guidelines established by COAH.
According to numbers initially released by COAH, Howell officials were required to plan for the construction of 847 affordable housing units between 2004 and 2018.
That time frame is known as COAH’s third-round affordable housing obligation and is part of Gov. Jon Corzine’s plan to construct more than 100,000 units of affordable housing throughout New Jersey.
Howell’s municipal planner, Jennifer Beahm, previously said that because of certain actions the township has taken, its obligation has been reduced to 615 units of affordable housing for the third round.
But according to COAH, the actual number of affordable housing units that will be built in Howell between 2004 and 2018 will be determined by the number of market rate homes that are developed in the municipality, as well as by the amount of commercial development that occurs in town during that time.
The sites for affordable housing that have been identified for development include a location on Southard Road, which is said to yield 168 rental units; a location on Wyckoff Road, said to yield 60 affordable units; and a location off Route 9, said to yield 42 affordable units.
Affordable housing units would be added under programs such as Market Rate to Affordable Housing, said to yield 133 units, and rental bonuses, to yield 212 units, according to the township.
Four individuals/entities have filed notice with COAH that they are objecting to Howell’s affordable housing plan. The objections are on file in the office of the township clerk in the municipal building.
The objectors are:
• Spectrum Developers Inc., represented by Vice President of Planning Evan Podel. In his objection, Podel states that the 168-unit and 60-unit affordable housing sites identified by the township are not suitable to development due to the substantial amount of wetlands that cover the properties.
Podel also notes that the 133-unit Market Rate to Affordable Housing site is not feasible due to insufficient funds in the township’s housing trust fund. In conclusion, the letter mentions Spectrum’s two Howell properties and requests their inclusion within the COAH compliance plan.
• Tyrpak Road Group LLC, represented by attorney Michael M. DiCicco. Tyrpak’s concerns include lack of adequate zoning and funds as well as no realistic opportunity for rental housing. The letter also states that the 133-unit Market Rate to Affordable Housing site does not comply with COAH rules.
Furthermore, Tyrpak said the Municipal Land Use Law prohibits Howell from mandating that “inclusionary developers construct low- and moderate-income rental housing.” They ask that their 237-acre property near Route 9 be added as an affordable housing site.
• Elon Associates LLC, represented by attorney Jeffery L. Kantowitz. Elon has not filed any specific objections to the affordable housing plan, but requests that its 48-acre plot be included as a suitable development site. Elon had previously executed a settlement agreement with the Planning Board to rezone the property to enable inclusionary development.
Kantowitz said Elon is prepared to construct 70 singlefamily units and 10 affordable rental units, develop 15,000 square feet of commercial space and 11,000 square feet of office space and pay $15,000 to Howell to help fund affordable housing.
• Boulder Ridge at Howell LLC, represented by professional planner Art Bernard. Boulder Ridge objects to Howell’s affordable housing plan for various reasons, including the failure to demonstrate zoning accommodations, conflicts within the Market Rate to Affordable Housing program, the lack of suitability for an inclusionary rental development and very low-income housing, and the overall cost of the plan.
Boulder Ridge also objects to several COAH rules and requests that its 72-acre property off Route 33 be rezoned to contribute to Howell’s affordable housing obligation.
With the objections filed, COAH’s executive director will review the objections to determine their completeness and validity. The executive director will then notify the objector that the objection is complete and valid and that the objector is permitted to participate in COAH’s administrative process beginning with mediation.
Objections that are determined to be incomplete or invalid will be returned to the objector, who will have 14 days to correct deficiencies and resubmit them. If the objections are not resubmitted within 14 days, the executive director will consider the objections to be withdrawn. The municipality will then submit a written response to all items delineated in the objector’s objection.
Contact Lauren Ciraulo at [email protected].